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Thursday, December 09, 2010

Bargainista holiday shopping guide - part 3: toddlers

In the third installment of Barginista’s holiday shopping guide, Rebecca looks at the youngest age group of all.

Babies are cute and fun and have little to no idea what the holidays are… And yet many parents spend so much of their time agonizing over the perfect gift or running all over town to find the “hot” toy. As a parent of a toddler – I can tell you it’s really easy to fall into that trap. So whether you’re buying a gift to satisfy your feelings of parental obligation, or because you’re hoping to bring a sweet smile to an innocent face here’s some ideas on what to fill your shopping cart with.

1. Board Books: Kids love reading – or even just flipping through books or putting them on their head. Board books tend to be a sturdier option – especially in my house since my daughter may have a future career as a champion paper shredder. Friends of ours gave us some Sandra Boynton books which were an instant hit. Moo Baa La La La is a crowd pleaser amongst most toddlers passing through my house.

2. Learning Toys: Educational and fun, Leap Frog makes all kinds of great (and not too noisy toys). The 3. Art/Craft Supplies: Crayola’s Tadoodles line offers several different options for introducing your kids to art – everything from crayons that are easier for little fingers to grip, right through to those are made for the tub.

4. The box the toy came in: Seriously. Granted this won’t work if you’re trying to donate or buy a gift for someone else’s tot, but a box that can be turned into a fort or anything the imagination desires can also be pretty fun and cool to unwrap and play in – and it doesn’t cost a lot but will likely give hours of endless enjoyment and is one more present for them to open…

Some of these gifts can be quite expensive – especially if purchased directly from the store or online and shipped. I recently discovered Liquidation World where I live and wished I’d found it sooner. I was able to score some Tadoodles for half the price you normally find them for in the stores.

There are several other seasonal liquidation/discount stores that have popped up where I live in Fredericton, NB and I know in Ontario the Samko-Mikko Toy Warehouse sale is also quite popular. I also make sure to visit the dollar stores to supplement items in my craft bin and sticker collection.

What are some other places that allow you to get twice as much toy for half the cost? Where do you find the best toy bargains this time of year?